Motor-propelled vehicle.



PATBNTED DEC. 12, 1905.

E. S. CLARK.

MOTOR PROPELLED VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED r23. 26. 1902.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

JNVENTOR. I 1 vv WITNESSES ATTORNEY.

No. 807,419. PATENTED DEC. 12, 1905. E. S. CLARK.

MOTOR PROPELLED VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.Z6, 1902.

PATENTED DEC. 12, 190E E, s. CLARK. MOTOR PROPELLED VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED FBILZG, 1902.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3 laweufoz Witnesses PATENTED DEC. 12, 1905.

E. S. CLARK.

MOTOR PROPELLED VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26. 1902.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

wihw owo No. 807,419. PATENTED DEG. 12, 1905.

E. S. CLARK.

MOTOR PROPELLED VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26. 1902.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

ammhtoz EDWARD S. CLARK, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

MOTOR-PRQPELLED VEHICLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1905.

Application filed February 26, 1902. Serial No. 95,758-

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD S. CLARK, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motor-Propelled Vehicles, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improved means for operating, regulating, guiding, and controlling motor-propelled vehicles, and has for its special objects the providing new and improved devices for operating the steering mechanism, controlling the supply of liquid fuel, supplying the initial charge of water to the boiler, and operating the throttle-valve and the reversing mechanism.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a part of the frame and running-gear of a motor-propelled vehicle embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the front portion of the ve hicle. Fig. 3 is an elevation of a portion of the steering mechanism, the means for controlling the fuel-supply, and the reversing mechanism. Fig. 4isadetail elevation, partly in section, of the hand-lever and portions of the steering-post and the fuel-supply rod. Fig. 5 is a detail side view, partly in section, of the head or hub of the steering or hand lever. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the head of the steering-post and the hub of the handlever pivoted therein. Fig. 7 is a top plan View, partly in horizontal section, of a bracket described herein and means connected thereto for operating a throttle-valve. Fig. 8 is a view, mainly in horizontal section, showing the throttle-valve and its connections. Fig. 9 is an elevation, partly in vertical section, of a flash-boiler preferably used in connec. tion with my motor and an auxiliary pump for forcing an initial charge of water into the boiler.

As a source of power I prefer a steam-engine, which may be of any suitable type, and for generating the steam any proper form of flash-boiler; but it Will be clear that While some of the features of my invention are limited in their application to the elements or some of the elements just mentioned, others of said features are not so limited or restricted.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the body of a motor-propelled vehicle, and 2 the tubular steering-post, which turns in a bearing in a bracket 3, secured to the body 1, and in a bearing 4, fast to the floor 5 of body 1. The post 2 has on its lower end below the floor 5 an arm 6, to the outer end of which is pivotally connected one end of a rod 7, the forward end of which is pivoted to one arm of a bell-crank lever 8, Fig. 1, mounted in the frame. The other arm of bell-crank 8 has pivoted to it the inner ends of two links 9, the other ends of which are pivoted to arms 10, projecting from the stub-axles 11, which carry the front wheels. Said axles 11 are each pivotally mounted in a fork at the ends of the front crossbar of the frame in a well-known manner.

The steering or hand lever 12, by which the steering-post 2 is rotated to steer the vehicle, is mounted on a pivot 13 in a vertical slot in the upper end or head 14 of the steering-post 2. Said lever is provided with a hub 15, inclosed within the slotted head 14, and the edge of said hub contains a groove 16, Figs. 5 and 6, and also at intervals in said groove recesses or notches 17, one of said notches being preferably opposite the handle 12 and the two others located one upon each side of the hub about midway between the handle and the first-mentioned notch. Said groove 16 is formed so as to operate as a cam-track to receive the pointed upper end of a fuel-feed rod 18, inclosed'within steering-post 2, which rod is constantly pressed upward into said groove 16 by the stress of a spring 19, bearing at its upper end against a collar 20, fast on feed-rod 18, and at its lower end against a bushing 21, fixed within post 2. The lower end of rod 18 engages one end of a lever 22, pivoted at 23 to the body of the vehicle, and the opposite end of lever 22 engages the stem 24 of a valve (not shown) which controls the supply of liquid fuel to the furnace or burners 48.

The hub 15 of hand-lever 12 and the camgroove 16 therein are so formed that when hand-lever 12 is moved on its pivot from a horizontal or working position to a vertical or inactive position the feed-rod 18 is at the same time pushed downwardly against the stress of spring 19, lever 22 is swung on its fulcrum 23, and valve-stem 24 moved endwise and the supply-valve closed, or very nearly closed. Conversely, when hand-lever 12 is moved from its vertical to its horizontal position rod 18 is pressed upward by spring 19, lever 22 is swung in the opposite direction, and valve-stem 24 moved so that the fuel-supply valve is fully opened. The notches 17 in the hub engage the end of rod 18 and serve to hold hand-lever 12 in either operative or inoperative position.

In Fig. 9 I have shown a flash-boiler 25, preferably used in connection with my vehicle. In using such boilers it is necessary to inject an initial charge of water in order to generate steam to start the engine and at the same time to turn on the liquid fuel. It has been customary prior to my invention to start the supply of fuel when the engine is at rest, and as said engine operates the pump which supplies water when the machine is running it 7 has been necessary on starting to inject water by a hand-pump. The water so injected flashes into steam, and at the same time the fuel must be turned on by another operation to keep sufiicient heat in the tubes to continue to generate steam, the water being injected in proportion to the amount of steam required to run the engine. By my improvement these actions are simultaneous, being effected by one hand-lever 12, and the duplication of levers is therefore unnecessary. For this purpose I provide an auxiliary pump 26, Fig. 9, by which the initial injection of water is made. Said pump is located adjacent to steering-post 2 and properly secured to the floor 5 of the vehicle. On post 2 is a sliding sleeve 27, provided with flanges 28, between which is a collar 29, loosely inclosing sleeve 27, so that said sleeve is free to turn with post 2 without turning collar 29. Collar 29 is connected with piston-rod 30 of auxiliary pump 26. "Sleeve 27 is connected with hand-lever 12 by a link 31, which is pivoted at 32 to lever 12 and at 33 to sleeve 27. IVhen hand-lever 12 is moved from its operative orhorizontal position to its inoperative or vertical position, sleeve 27, collar 29 on said sleeve, and piston-rod 30 are moved, so that water is drawn into the pump through inlet 34, and when hand-lever 12 is moved from its inoperative to its operative position the movements of the parts is reversed, and the contents of the pump are discharged through outlet 35 into the boilertubes 36. From this first injection sufficient steam is generated to start the engine, and the latter when started operates the main pump, (not shown,) by which the subsequent supply of ,water is maintained until the engine is stopped.

Another feature of my invention is a single device under the control of the operator for actuating both the throttle-valve,by which the supply of steam to the engine is controlled, and also the reversing mechanism. Said device is herein shown as embodied in a rotatable and endwise-movable rod 37, Figs. 3, 7, 8, located in front of the operators seat and mounted in a sleeve 38, fixed at its upper end in bracket 3 and extending downward through the floor 5 of the body. Bracket 3 is made hollow, as shown in Fig. 7, to receive within it an eccentric 39, which is splined 65 on rod 37, and strap of eccentric 39. is connected by a rod 41 to the throttle 42, which controls the supply of steam to the engine.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, rod 37 carries on its lower end a stud 43, which projects through a slot 44 in one arm of the cranked engine-reversing lever 45, and to the other arm of lever 45 is pivoted a rod 46, which is connected to the usual valve-operating mechanism of the engine. By moving rod 37 endwise by means of handle 47 lever 45 may be operated to reverse the engine. Handle 47 is also used to rotate rod 37 and eccentric 39 to operate the throttle-valve.

When all the features described of my invention are combined in a motor-propelled vehicle, the latter is entirely under the-control of the operator and can be quickly started, guided, reversed, or stopped, the hand-lever 12 being held in one hand by him and the handle 47 in the other hand. The movement of the steering-lever into operative position forces the initial charge of water into the boiler by the operation of auxiliary pump 26, and the supply of fuel to the furnace is simultaneously turned on or increased by the operation of feed-rod 18 and its connections.

. Conversely, by the reverse movement of lever 12 the fuel-supply is reduced or cut off and the auxiliary pump is operated to draw another charge of water into the pump-chamber in readiness to be utilized in the next operation of the vehicle.

- I claim as my invention 1. In a motor-propelled vehicle, the combination of a rotatable steering-post, a steeringlever for rotating said post and pivoted thereto to swing in a vertical plane, a cam on the head of said lever, a fuel-supply-controlling rod mounted parallel with said post and bearing endwise against said cam, whereby the fuel-supply is regulated by the pivotal movements of said lever and cam, substantially as set forth.

2. In a motor-propelled vehicle, the combination of a rotatable steering-post, a steeringlever for rotating said post and pivoted thereto to swing in a vertical plane, a cam on the head of said lever, a fuel-supply rod disposed parallel with said post and bearing endwise against said cam, and a spring bearing against said rod and tending normally to force it toward said cam, substantially as set forth.

3. In a motor-propelled vehicle, the combination with a flash-boiler of a rotatable steering-post, a steering-lever for rotating said post and pivoted thereto, a fuel-supply-controlling rod disposed parallel with said post, an auxiliary pump for injecting an initial charge into the boiler, and connections between said pump, said fuel-supply rod and said lever whereby said pump and said rod are operated simultaneously by the pivotal movements of said lever, substantially as set ver operated by the longitudinal movements forth. of saidrod, substantially as set forth. I

4. In a motor-propelled vehicle, a rotata- In testimony whereof Ihave afiixed my sig- 4 ble and longitudially-movable rod, a handle nature in presence of two Witnesses.

5 thereon, a bracket through Which said rod EDWARD S. CLARK.

passes, a cam on said rod, a throttle-valve, Witnesses: connecting means for operating said valve by A. H. SPENCER,

the rotation of said cam, and a reversing-le- J. WILLIAM AMEs. 

